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Blackhawk Vol 1 72

Blackhawk #72 is an issue of the series Blackhawk (Volume 1) with a cover date of January, 1954.

Synopsis for "Death In the Iron Mask"

The United World wants to build a radar station atop Mt. Merciless, in Switzerland. Three expeditions have failed to reach the peak. The Blackhawk Squadron volunteers to climb the mountain, flies to Switzerland, and gets equipped and supplied for the climb. They are ambushed by Mongolian looking warriors armed with axes, swords, and archery gear. The medieval savages make surprising use of a large net and capture all seven of the aviators.

Their ruler is King Merciless. His stronghold is a European-style medieval castle, and his troops are armed with hand weapons only, but he has big plans. In fact, he's just about ready to make his big move against the outside world. The audience is interrupted; one tribesman has tried to escape to the outer world. He is executed, by catapault, and Blackhawk hot-headedly tries to interfere. For this insolence, the king orders him to be fitted with the Iron Mask. This thing is made partly of leather, and strapped on while wet; as the sun tries it out, it slowly strangles the victim. King Merciless then offers to free Blackhawk if his men can defeat his warriors in open combat. The Blackhawks are on foot and the warriors are mounted, and apparently the team hasn't brought any side-arms with them today; the fight starts to go badly. Blackhawk pulls some vacuum tubes out of the radar equipment bag that they've brought along, and simulates explosions by throwing these at some rocks. The combat goes on for some time, and ultimately the Blackhawks are compelled to attack Merciless' stronghold and defeat his Castle Guards. They accomplish this, using radar station batteries and exposed wire, supplemented by fists, shocking out and punching out the iron-armored axemen. They then remove the deadly iron device from Blackhawk's head.

King Merciless imprisons the Blackhawks in "the pit" under his castle, where there is an opening in the floor, above a large volcanic mass, with only some old wooden beams set above it, to prevent rock slides. Using powder from dismantled bullets, and a wrist-watch, the team assembles a time tomb, to knock loose the beams and cause a landslide. Then they escape from the prison and the castle, then use the village catapult to fling themselves to a safe landing, hundreds of feet away. As expected, the landslide into the volcanic pit causes an eruption which wipes out the stronghold and everybody in it.

Appearing in "Death In the Iron Mask"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • King Merciless (Apparent death)
    • his tribe (Apparent death)

Other Characters:

  • Expedition Icicle, mountain climbers, (All die.)
  • runaway tribesman (Dies)

Locations:

Vehicles:

Synopsis for Chop Chop: "Taxi Driver"

This story is reprinted from Blackhawk #38.

Chop-Chop has a hard time getting rid of an incriminating briefcase only it's really not incriminating after all.

Appearing in Chop Chop: "Taxi Driver"

Featured Characters:

Other Characters:

  • Chariot Taxi manager
  • helpful waiter
  • helpful sanitation worker
  • stern mother & gullible child
  • cops

Locations:

  • large U.S. city

Items:

  • empty briefcase

Vehicles:

  • Chariot Taxis

Synopsis for "The Death Legion"

Appearing in "The Death Legion"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Von Brokton, as "The Desert Wolf", (notorious German Panzer General, long believed dead) (Single appearance; dies)
  • Colonel Kroger, (wanted by World Court) (Apparent death)
    • Death Legion (Arabian horsemen) (Many or all die.)

Locations:

Items:

  • Death Legion's Neutralizing Weapon

Vehicles:

Synopsis for "The Invasion From Within"

At a nuclear test site on a South Pacific island, an experimental protective transparent material is tested. Soon afterward, the Soviets stage a hoax invasion of this island, by the "Inner People," a fake subterranean civilization, in order to frighten the world into abandoning atomic testing. The experimental material provides robust protection against the "Inner People's" flame-based weapons, and wearing transparent fireproof suits made out of this stuff, the Blackhawks battle the "Inner People," defeat them, and expose them as the Communist hoaxers they are.

Appearing in "The Invasion From Within"

Featured Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Inner People, (fakes)
  • Russian Delegate to United World Court

Other Characters:

Locations:

Items:

  • Inner People's flame guns (rifle-size and artillery size)
  • Blackhawk Squadron's transparent fireproof suits

Vehicles:

Notes

  • Death In the Iron Mask
    • An explosive volcanic eruption takes place, and wipes out a population of Asian swordsmen, in the Swiss Alps.
  • Death Legion
    • The Desert Wolf, von Brokton, had an electronic Neutralizing Weapon, an anti-aircraft electronic weapon set up like a light field cannon, that could knock out the engines of all six Blackhawk jets. Von Brokton and all his Arab troops were wiped out, so that unguarded weapon would probably be confiscated, but this is not mentioned.
  • Invasion From Within:
    • Story opens with the Blackhawks supervising an atom bomb test, for the second issue in a row. This apparently is an important part of their job.
    • There is a Russian Delegate to the United World Court. Russia is not a member of the United World organization.
    • The Blackhawk Lockheed interceptors have automatic return and landing systems, capable of landing on aircraft carriers at sea.
  • Also featured in this issue of Blackhawk was:
    • Blackhawk: "Dinner For Blackhawk" (text story).

Trivia

  • Blackhawk uniform gloves, rarely seen, are yellow.

See Also

Links and References